Male menopause question?!
Question: I've had problems with depression and hot flashes. I found that out my testosterone hormone went below normal! Now on testosterone hormone replacement, but still get hot flashes! I found a product for hot flash and menopause relief, with the name 'Estroven'! It does say for women, but it is helping my hot flashes. What kind of affects would there be on a man?
Answers: I've had problems with depression and hot flashes. I found that out my testosterone hormone went below normal! Now on testosterone hormone replacement, but still get hot flashes! I found a product for hot flash and menopause relief, with the name 'Estroven'! It does say for women, but it is helping my hot flashes. What kind of affects would there be on a man?
Male Menopause, also known as andropause, may or may not be an accurate description as a clinical phenomenon. Its proponents claim that it is a biological change experienced by men during their mid-life, and is often compared to female menopause. While menopause relates to a cessation of reproductive ability, andropause refers to a diminishment of the key male hormone testosterone which can lead to a severe loss of energy, concentration and depression, mood swings resulting in uneccessary nastiness and spiteful behaviour towards others. Unlike menopause, andropause does not necessarily cause a man's reproductive system to stop working altogether in mid-life but most will experience bouts of impotenceThe impact of low levels of testosterone has been previously reported. In 1944, Heller and Myers[1] identified symptoms of what they labeled the "male climacteric" including loss of libido and potency, nervousness, depression, impaired memory, the inability to concentrate, fatigue, insomnia, hot flushes, and sweating. Heller and Myers found that their subjects had lower than normal levels of testosterone, and that symptoms improved dramatically when patients were given replacement doses of testosterone.
The concept of andropause is perhaps more widely accepted in Australia and some parts of Europe than it is in the United States[2]. In the U.S., many clinicians believe that, since men can continue to reproduce into old age, and do not universally show the same dramatic drops in hormone levels characteristic of menopause in women, andropause is nonexistent. Others feel that andropause is real, synonymous with hypogonadism or low testosterone levels [3]. Regardless of nomenclature, doctors agree that the loss of hormones can be a painful and often life-altering affliction, whether it is experienced by women or men.
Some of the current interest in andropause has been fueled by the book Male Menopause, written by Jed Diamond[4]. According to Diamond, andropause (another term for "male menopause") is a change of life in middle-aged men, which has hormonal, physical, psychological, interpersonal, social, sexual, and spiritual aspects. Diamond claims that this change occurs in all men, generally between the ages of 40 and 55, though it can occur as early as 35 or as late as 65. Some argue the term "male menopause" is a misnomer, as men don